What is CBD?

“Cannabidiol  (CBD) is a cannabinoid found in Cannabis. It is a major constituent of the plant, representing up to 40% in its extracts..”-Source, Grlić, Ljubiša (1962). “A comparative study on some chemical and biological characteristics of various samples of cannabis resin”. Bulletin on Narcotics (UNODC) (3): 37–46.

In recent years medical marijuana has made some great advancement in the testing of this intriguing and powerful flower. CBD was found to be helpful as an antipsychotic when introduced to patients suffering schizophrenia. It was also found to alleviate inflammation, dystonia, nausea, PTSD as well as anxiety…and in some astonishing results it slowed the growth of cancer cells (in vitro) of breast cancer patients.

For years we have been trying to get marijuana recognized on the national scale in America for medicinal purposes and unfortunately the stigma attached to “getting high” or “being stoned” has halted those advances. With the introduction of CBD to the mainstream media it can be proven through scientific tests that CBD can help those in need of something other than the basic pharmaceuticals provided to them which can damage the liver and other organs that they may need to aid them in the healing of their disease/ illness.

Medical Marijuana has truly come a long way with some professors and doctors taking their time to begin doing strict studies that apply to their patients who are seeking alternative care. I believe in CBD myself and will be joining Project CBD in moving this medicine forward to the front lines of the medical marijuana discussion.

*What isProject CBD?*

Directly from them!
“….Our Intentions  Project CBD is a non-profit educational service dedicated to promoting and publicizing research into the medical utility of cannabidiol (CBD) and other components of the Cannabis plant. It was conceived by two journalists who have been covering the medical marijuana movement / industry in the pages of O’Shaughnessy’s. We think the reintroduction of CBD-rich Cannabis into the grassroots supply warrants special focus. We support the Society of Cannabis Clinicians‘ effort to collect, aggregate and publish data from patients to determine patterns of efficacy—or lack of efficacy…”-projectcbd.org

Below: Excerpt from ProjectCBD.org

HOW DOES CBD COUNTER ANXIETY?
   A new study by Jose A. S. Crippa and a team of Brazilian investigators confirms that symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder can be reduced by treatment with CBD —and identifies areas of the brain involved in the process. The paper by Crippa et al, “Neural basis of anxiolytic effects of cannabidiol in generalized social anxiety disorder: a preliminary report,” was published online Sept. 9 in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. Ten men with severe Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), ages 20 to 33, participated in the study, which was conducted at the University of Sao Paulo. Crystalline CBD from THC Pharm in Frankfurt was used. Prior to undergoing a neuroimaging procedure to measure blood flow in the brain, the subjects were given either 400 mg of CBD dissolved in corn oil and packed in a gel cap, or a placebo gel cap. A week later they were given the alternative treatment. The investigators assumed that the neuroimaging —Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), which involves insertion of an intravenous tube and observation by a technician deploying a high-tech apparatus— was in itself an anxiety-producing event. Subjects recorded their anxiety levels before, during, and after the neuroimaging by means of a “Visual Analogue Mood Scale (VAMS).” The researchers were able to correlate these subjective reports with blood-flow activity measured in the brain. “CBD was associated with significantly decreased anxiety,” they concluded. They observed reduced radioactive tracer intake in the left parahippocampal gyrus, the hippocampus, and the inferior temporal gyrus. They saw increased uptake in the right posterior cingulated gyrus. “These results suggest that CBD reduces anxiety in SAD and that this is related to its effects on activity in limbic and paralimbic brain areas,” according to Crippa. If CBD-rich Cannabis exerts similar effects, Crippa’s findings suggest that it can be useful in decreasing anxiety. (Source: ProjectCBD.org)

HOW DOES IT HELP WITH APPETITE?
     Allan Frankel, MD, is pursuing two goals that he sees as related —large-scale production of standardized CBD-rich tinctures, and a “Statewide Collective” that will arrange for non-profit distribution. Frankel has also been conducting an “n-of-1″ trial to test the effect of CBD on appetite.
  ”Just as THC increases our appetite, as in the munchies,” says Frankel, “CBD suppresses our appetite. Personally, I wanted to lose a few pounds so I’ve started using CBD cookies made by the nurse at Statewide Collective. They each have 1 cc of a 13mg/6mg CBD/THC preparation which I take in the a.m. I’ve also made a tincture by placing the same dose in a 12-ounce bottle of water. Both effectively kill my appetite nearly completely for four to six hours, and moderately for 24 hours.”
  Frankel, adds, “There is one huge exception to the rule that CBD suppresses appetite —but it’s a blessing, not a problem. There are many people who have difficulty eating due to a high-anxiety state –head spinning. For these patients, when their anxiety and that vague, sick feeling in their chest goes away following CBD administration, their appetite soon increases and their anxiety pretty much vanishes.
  ”THC is the better appetite stimulant for Cancer and HIV patients, in general; but physicians must ask in detail about the appetite issue as well as the patient’s emotional state before recommending which cannabinoid should predominate in their medication.(Source: ProjectCBD.org)

“…..CBD is the most versatile tool in the Cannabis plant’s kit, according to the Halent chart. It “reduces pain, slows bacteria growth, reduces blood sugar levels, reduces nausea and vomiting, reduces seizures and convulsions, reduces inflammation, reduces risk of artery blockage, inhibits cancer growth, treats psoriasis, is tranquilizing, suppresses muscle spasms, relieves anxiety, promotes bone growth, reduces function in the immune system, reduces small intestine contractions, retards nervous system degeneration, and reduces vascular tension.” Reference to CBD as an anti-depressant is omitted.
The chart was developed by analytic chemist Don Land based on studies published in peer-reviewed journals. The 23 cannabinoids and terpenoids it refers to are the ones Halent is testing for.
Although the chart implies that the ability of the listed cannabinoids and terpenoids to provide the specified effects has been well established, the evidence of benefit ranges from very strong to very slight. Establishing (or disproving) efficacy was the impetus for both Project CBD and the SCC survey.
Halent plans to track patients’ responses to CBD-rich Cannabis and strains containing other compounds of interest. They’re undoubtedly aware that telling people what to expect from a given type of Cannabis will influence the effects reported, and that peer-reviewed journals would not publish data skewed in this way.
I say “Skew it.” So what if the placebo effect accounts for 15 percent —or even 30 percent— of the reported benefit? If positive expectations alter brain chemistry in a way that makes drugs more effective, why go to great lengths to block positive expectations?
It’s damn arrogant of the medical establishment to define the double-blind placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial as “the gold standard of research,” given all the deadly drugs the FDA has approved based on such trials. Corporate biomedicine is corrupt. Their most prestigious journals are full of ghost-written papers, they exclude studies showing adverse effects… Honest anecdotal evidence is far preferable to superficial rigor.
As I write this at the winter solstice, the New York Times is belatedly informing readers that numerous, rock-solid studies point to Tylenol as a causal factor in asthma…
But don’t let ‘em have any marijuana!
Fred Gardner” - SOURCE:PROJECTCBD.ORG/CBDIARY